Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




Newest Combination HIV Antigen-Antibody Assay Evaluated

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 27 Feb 2013
Diagnostic tests capable of early detection represent the most effective means of preventing transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

A fourth-generation antigen-antibody combination assay has been developed to allow earlier detection of seroconversion, and has increased sensitivity and improved specificity.

Scientists at the Innsbruck University Hospital (Austria) determined how early the assay could detect infection compared with existing assays; whether all HIV variants could be detected; and the assay's specificity using samples from blood donors, routine specimens, and patients with potential cross-reacting factors.

The study was carried out at 12 centers in Europe, Thailand, and Australia. The Elecsys HIV combi PT assay (Roche Diagnostics; Penzberg, Germany) is performed according to the sandwich principle. The results are automatically determined by the Elecsys software that compares the signal produced from the sample with the cutoff value obtained during system calibration. The total assay time is 27 minutes.

A total of 14 seroconversion panels, comprising 135 samples were analyzed to determine how soon after a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) result the immunoassays could detect HIV infection. Samples were identified as positive by the Elecsys assay 4.9 days after a positive PCR result that had been predetermined, which was earlier than the 5.3 to 7.1days observed with other comparable assays. The analytical sensitivity of the Elecsys HIV combi PT assay for the HIV-1 p24 antigen was 1.05 IU/mL, which compares favorably with the other assays.

In addition, the assay identified all screened HIV subtypes and displayed greater sensitivity to HIV-2 homologous antigen and antibodies to HIV-1 E and O and HIV-2 than the other assays. The assay demonstrated 100% specificity in patients with infections other than HIV, such as Cytomegalovirus or herpes simplex virus. Overall, the specificity of the Elecsys assay was 99.88% using samples from blood donors and 99.81% when analyzing unselected samples. Potential cross-reacting factors did not interfere with assay performance. The Elecsys HIV combi PT assay has been granted the European Conformity (CE) marking and is now available for use in laboratory-based testing. The study was published in the February 2013 issue of the journal Medical Microbiology and Immunology.

Related Links:
Innsbruck University Hospital
Roche Diagnostics


New
Gold Member
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Test
hCG Quantitative - R012
Verification Panels for Assay Development & QC
Seroconversion Panels
New
Community-Acquired Pneumonia Test
RIDA UNITY CAP Bac
New
Respiratory Bacterial Panel
Real Respiratory Bacterial Panel 2
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The tiny clay-based materials can be customized for a range of medical applications (Photo courtesy of Angira Roy and Sam O’Keefe)

‘Brilliantly Luminous’ Nanoscale Chemical Tool to Improve Disease Detection

Thousands of commercially available glowing molecules known as fluorophores are commonly used in medical imaging, disease detection, biomarker tagging, and chemical analysis. They are also integral in... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The cancer stem cell test can accurately choose more effective treatments (Photo courtesy of University of Cincinnati)

Stem Cell Test Predicts Treatment Outcome for Patients with Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer frequently responds to chemotherapy initially, but eventually, the tumor develops resistance to the therapy, leading to regrowth. This resistance is partially due to the activation... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: The ready-to-use DUB enzyme assay kits accelerate routine DUB activity assays without compromising data quality (Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock)

Sensitive and Specific DUB Enzyme Assay Kits Require Minimal Setup Without Substrate Preparation

Ubiquitination and deubiquitination are two important physiological processes in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, responsible for protein degradation in cells. Deubiquitinating (DUB) enzymes contain around... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: The HIV-1 self-testing chip will be capable of selectively detecting HIV in whole blood samples (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Disposable Microchip Technology Could Selectively Detect HIV in Whole Blood Samples

As of the end of 2023, approximately 40 million people globally were living with HIV, and around 630,000 individuals died from AIDS-related illnesses that same year. Despite a substantial decline in deaths... Read more

Industry

view channel
Image: The collaboration aims to leverage Oxford Nanopore\'s sequencing platform and Cepheid\'s GeneXpert system to advance the field of sequencing for infectious diseases (Photo courtesy of Cepheid)

Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore Technologies Partner on Advancing Automated Sequencing-Based Solutions

Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a leading molecular diagnostics company, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (Oxford, UK), the company behind a new generation of sequencing-based molecular analysis technologies,... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.